大象传媒

Normandy Veteran 1944

Several memories stand out from the beach landing in Normandy, but my story concerns one event, which followed the break out from Normandy.

We were always very tired, dirty and smelly. But on one occasion we enjoyed the welcome visit of a 鈥榤obile baths unit鈥�. This was a large marquee with a powerful generator, overhead pipes with hot water showers etc and could be used by dozens of soldiers at one time. All of our clothing was exchanged for clean sets, but we retained our own boots and equipment.

Our unit was ordered into a 鈥榪uiet area鈥� of the Belgian coastline. The battle for Normandy with all its sighs, sounds, and lack of sleep in make shift bivouacs etc was behind us. The thought of food cooked for us instead of our usual 鈥榗ompo鈥� rations, the prospect of a roof over our heads was very appealing and perhaps taps and washing facilities, sheer bliss!

Our role was to contain Germans within the small ports they had occupied, thus preventing the allies using their ports for supplies. Civilian casualties would have been tremendous if capture of the ports was possible.

Our first billet was in a partly ruined boarding school; there were a few cold-water taps, room for a cookhouse and a few rooms with plenty of space for sleeping on the floor. Great!

Our unit was scattered in other areas. On our first Sunday the padre (church minister) requested our attendance at a service in a nearby field. We hadn鈥檛 been to a church service since leaving England. This was voluntary.
Following our very first lie in and late breakfast, wonderful! We assembled on a nearby field.

A slight breeze was blowing and our singing co-ordinated, the Welsh contingent were in good voice, they even sang one hymn in their own language. The padre had to shout as he was preaching into the wind - a good short sermon and luckily no collection. The rest of the day was given over to further sleep.

The next day, whilst crossing over the same field there was the familiar sound of exploding shells from a nearby German light artillery battery. Diving into the nearest holes we waited till it was over. One lad picked up a bit of shrapnel, which had landed near his head. It stuck to his fingers as it was very hot and burnt them. Did the officers give him sympathy? No, he was reprimanded instead as it was classed as a 鈥渟elf-inflicted鈥� injury. There were no other casualties.

So much for being sent into a 鈥榪uiet area鈥� we didn鈥檛 think much of that set up. Perhaps the Germans didn鈥檛 appreciate the sermon, couldn鈥檛 understand our welsh singers, or didn鈥檛 recognise the songs so couldn鈥檛 join in the chorus. More likely I think that they wanted their field kitchen back, we had previously liberated it from their supply line!

The field kitchen became very useful and much used when we move forward again. Our short rest period was not very restful but much appreciated.

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